


Christmas Miracle

by Snowflake19



Category: Pitch Perfect (Movies)
Genre: F/F, Merry Pitchmas 2020
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-25
Updated: 2020-12-25
Packaged: 2021-03-10 20:33:38
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,838
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28313127
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Snowflake19/pseuds/Snowflake19
Summary: Beca doesn't believe in Christmas miracles, but Christmas has other ideas...
Relationships: Chloe Beale & Beca Mitchell, Chloe Beale/Beca Mitchell
Comments: 13
Kudos: 118





	Christmas Miracle

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Iambeberly](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Iambeberly/gifts).



> Merry Christmas everyone! This is my entry for the Merry Pitchmas Secret Santa Gift Exchance 2020 (wow, that's a mouthful!)  
> Hope y'all enjoy, and have the jolliest Christmas season ever!

“Another one, dearie?”

Beca looked up, seeing the waitress standing next to her table with a steaming pot of coffee in her hand, and a kind, almost pitying smile. Eyes flitting to her emptied cup, she gave a mute nod.

Truth be told, the coffee here tasted like mud, but the waitress had been nice to her for the past two-and-a-half hours she had been stuck here, so she was willing to endure the sludge. Besides, it had caffeine, so yeah.

Once the waitress had left, Beca turned her attention out the window again. It was still snowing, and the world was getting smaller with every passing minute, the flurries of snow whirling in front of the window and making it impossible to see more than a few feet outside.

She checked her phone for the millionth time in the past hour. As she stared at the screen, she willed her phone to ring, but obviously that didn’t work either. It was almost three hours ago when her car broke down, smoke billowing from underneath the hood, and she had called for roadside assistance. The woman on the other end of the line had told her they were experiencing an unusual amount of calls, and would get back to her as soon as they were able.

Now here she was, sitting at a gas station with a small cafe on the side of the highway, waiting for… for something. 

Obviously, with tomorrow being Christmas, this was  _ not _ how she had planned for things to go. She’d visited her dad back in Atlanta before the holidays. Despite his repeated invitations, she had declined joining him and his wife in visiting Sheila’s family in Washington. While she and her dad were on good terms nowadays, and she even kind of liked Sheila, she really had no desire or intention to meet her extended family. Ever.

Even if that meant she would be spending Christmas alone, in an apartment that was too big and too empty, with sad music blasting from her very advanced sound system, and a bottle of something strong on the table in front of her. 

She had, sort of, secretly hoped one of her colleagues would invite her over for some… for anything, really. But the fact that she had purposefully kept everyone at a distance meant no one had felt the need to do so. And thus, for the third year in a row, she would have her own pitiful Christmas celebration. Obviously, she’d told her father she had plans, least he’d worry and actually force her into coming to Washington with them. Fathers, after all, had the power to do that, even if you were quickly nearing your thirties.

She drained her lukewarm coffee in two large gulps, nodding at the waitress when she wiggled the coffee pot again with a raised eyebrow. Half a minute later, she had her re-fill. “This one’s on the house, dearie. You look like you need it.”

“Thanks,” Beca sighed with something that had to pass for a smile. 

“Don’t mention it, doll.”

Her phone told her she still didn’t have any notifications. Needing something to pass the time, Beca quickly scrolled over her social media. Her Insta and Twitter were filled with merriment and holiday cheer, and really, it only served to sour her own mood further. She closed all the apps down with a few harsh taps of her thumb, instead opening her message history and idly reading through various conversations.

By the time she reached her message history with Jesse and was actually re-reading the rather heated messages that had led to their break-up almost two years ago now, she still hadn’t received the call she had been waiting for. A quick glance at the clock told her it had been well over three hours by now.

Closing out of Jesse’s messages, Beca scrolled further down, almost dropping her phone when Chloe’s name appeared all the way at the bottom. Biting her lip, she gingerly tapped the name of her former best friend, the redhead’s last message to her popping up on the screen instantly.

<C> Hey Becs. I’ve been trying to keep in contact with you for almost a year now, and it’s been nine months since I last got a reply. Which was only one word, by the way. So yeah, I think I get the message… I don’t know what changed between us? Did I do something wrong? I’ve been beating myself up over this for a while now, but nothing comes to mind… Still, it’s clear you’re not interested in staying in contact. So I’ll just… I’ll stop, okay? I don’t understand why, and I don’t think I ever will, but you don’t want me in your life anymore. And that’s… It’s not fine, but it’s your choice. I can respect that. I need to. I’m just sending you this last message to say goodbye. And… I’m sorry for whatever I did to make this happen. Xx Chlo

Beca closed her eyes, leaning her head back against the wall with a quiet groan. She honestly hadn’t even  _ thought _ about Chloe in over a year. Sure, that sounds like, super douche-y, but it was basically the whole point of breaking contact back when she did. 

Because it wasn’t healthy. It wasn’t healthy to feel your heart jump at every redhead you passed in the street. It wasn’t healthy for your hands to grab for your phone the instant it dinged, only to feel disappointment washing over you when you saw any name that wasn’t  _ hers _ . It wasn’t healthy to keep that one yellow cup in the cupboard, always at the front, but never used, just because of Chloe Beale.

She wasn’t supposed to feel like that, and it wasn’t mutual, and she just couldn’t get over it no matter how hard she tried. So, obviously, she had been forced to take more drastic measures. 

With a deep breath, she righted herself again and opened her eyes. The moment she did, the breath was knocked from her lungs by the sight before her. Obviously, she was hallucinating. Because this was impossible. 

She closed her eyes, shook her head a few times - not caring whether people thought her strange - and opened them again. Then she pinched herself.

Obviously, reading Chloe’s message had made her think of Chloe. Thus, when she saw a redhead enter the gas station, it made sense for her brain to connect the dots. When she focused back on the entrance, the redhead was gone. 

She turned towards the counter to ask for another cup of coffee, only to come face to face with red hair and strikingly blue eyes in a face that was so painstakingly familiar, it was as if she’d seen it this morning, and every morning for the past few years.

What were the odds of encountering Chloe Beale in a gas station along the highway in Georgia, just after re-reading that final message? Less than zero. Off all the places, and all the people… This occurrence was so infinitesimally unlikely that Beca still didn’t believe her eyes. Whatever was going on - it wasn’t  _ this _ .

And now this phantom-Chloe had spotted her, recognition shining in her eyes, and making her way towards her booth, and Beca really didn’t know how much longer she could delude herself into thinking this  _ wasn’t _ Chloe.

“Beca.”

_ Shit. _

“Chloe,” Beca muttered with a dip of her head, trying to gauge the redhead’s reaction upon their fated meeting here.

Chloe’s face was carefully neutral for a long second, but then it split into a massive grin. “Ohmygod! I haven’t seen you in  _ years _ !” she gushed, inviting herself to sit down at Beca’s table. “What are the odds of finding you here?”

“I was just wondering that myself,” Beca chuckled awkwardly. “Um... “

“How have you been?” Chloe continued, and Beca was grateful for not having to come up with anything to keep the conversation going. Then again, Chloe always had been the one to carry a conversation.

“I’m well enough, can’t complain,” Beca smiled. “What about you?”

“I’m great,” Chloe smiled, and Beca didn’t miss the way her smile was just a  _ little _ too wide and cheerful. “How’s Jesse?”

“I couldn’t tell you,” Beca shrugged. “Haven’t spoken to him in almost two years.”

“You broke up?” Chloe asked, expression shifting into something akin to concern. “I’m sorry to hear that.”

“Don’t be,” Beca smiled, ever her awkward self. “We didn’t work out. Shit like that happens.”

“I suppose,” Chloe nodded, and she already had her mouth opened to say something else when she was interrupted by the shrill ringtone coming from Beca’s phone.

“Oh, I’m sorry, I’ve been waiting for this call for hours. I really need to take this.”

“Of course,” Chloe nodded.

When it became clear that Chloe hadn’t changed a bit, and thus wasn’t going to give Beca any privacy unless she explicitly asked for it, Beca answered the call. “Mitchell speaking.”

“Hello Miss Mitchell, this is Erika from Roadside Assistance. I’m getting back to you about a call you made earlier today?”

“Yes, right,” Beca nodded.

“I apologize for the delay, but we’re experiencing an incredible amount of calls at the moment.”

“That’s fine,” Beca told her, even though it wasn’t, really.

“I regret to inform you that your case hasn’t received priority notice, mainly due to the fact you are currently off the road and safe.”

“O-kay,” Beca hummed. “So what does that mean for me?”

“I’m afraid it means we won’t be able to come and see to your car for a while yet, Miss Mitchell.”

“A while?” Beca asked. “How long should I expect to wait?”

The silence on the other end of the phone was telling enough, and Beca closed her eyes with a quiet groan. “I’m afraid we won’t be able to get to you today, Miss Mitchell,” she was told. “I apologize for the inconvenience, but with the holidays, everyone is on the road, and as I said before, we’re experiencing-”

“-An incredible amount of calls, yes,” Beca finished. “Don’t worry about it, it’s fine. I didn’t have any plans for the holidays anyway. I’ll be fine. Just let me know when you can get out here, please?”

“Of course, Miss Mitchell,” Erika told her, clearly relieved she was taking the news so well. “As soon as we know more, we will be sure to inform you. Thank you for understanding.”

“Yeah, sure,” Beca sighed. “I’m sure you’re very busy, so I won’t keep you.”

“Right!” the bodiless voice chimed. “Happy holi- Oh, wait, I’m so sorry.”

“It’s fine,” Beca repeated. “Happy holidays.”

With a final click, the call ended, and Beca was forced to turn her attention back to Chloe, who had obviously been listening, eyeing her with a peculiar expression.

“Car trouble?”

“Yeah.”

“That sucks,” her old friend offered up, not sounding all that sympathetic about it.

“Yeah.”

“Where were you headed?”

“Home,” Beca huffed.

“Husband? Kids?”

“Nope.”

“Boyfriend?”

“Nope.”

“Anyone? Pets?” 

“No one at all,” Beca told her, wondering whatever the hell was going on.

Chloe hummed thoughtfully. “That’s a sad way to spend the holiday season.”

“I’m well aware, thank you,” Beca replied, voice tight.

“Oh, I didn’t mean… I’m sorry, that was insensitive,” Chloe offered up, looking like she actually regretted her words. Which was weird, because Beca felt like she’d deserved that jab, as well as any other jab in her future, after the way she had cut Chloe off.

“‘S fine.”

“Anyhow,” Chloe sighed, rising from her chair. “I should get back on the road. I’m on my way to see my parents. I just stopped here to grab some snacks for on the way.”

“Right,” Beca nodded. “Have-”

“Wanna tag along?”

Beca felt her jaw unhinging, and she was pretty sure she appeared mentally unstable as she stared at Chloe for what felt like forever.

“To see your parents?”

Chloe nodded.

“At Christmas?”

Another nod.

“Dude, we haven’t seen each other in like, three years,” Beca pointed out. 

“Not for lack of trying on my part, Beca,” Chloe retorted tightly. “If you don’t want to come, you can just say no.”

“No,” Beca backtracked, watching Chloe turn. “I mean no, not no. I mean… I mean, wouldn’t it be weird?”

“Maybe,” Chloe shrugged. “But my parents love you, so there’s that. Also, would you prefer sleeping here?”

Looking at the sticky velcro underneath her ass, Beca wrinkled her nose. “That’s a hard no for me.”

“Thought as much. Come on, I’ll leave you in charge of the music.” And just like that, Chloe turned and walked out the door, not looking back even once. Beca remained in her seat for a moment, trying to figure out what the  _ hell _ was going on right now.

When she saw Chloe getting in her car, Beca scrambled out of her seat, hurriedly paid for her fourteen coffees -  _ ew - _ and made her way outside. She took a deep breath before opening the passenger side door of Chloe’s car and sliding in.

“Good choice,” Chloe grinned as she started the engine and pulled out of the parking lot. Then, without warning, she tossed Beca her phone. “Put on some music, DJ Becs,” she smiled. “Oh, and could you text my mom, tell her you’re coming along?”

Beca poked the screen, and watched Chloe’s phone come to life.  _ Of course _ , Chloe wouldn’t use password protection, and Beca almost teared up at the Bella group photo gracing the little screen in her hands. “Won’t she mind?”

“Why would she?” Chloe asked. 

“I don’t know, maybe because you’re bringing a last minute guest to your family holidays?”

Chloe shrugged, easily merging into traffic despite the snow. “She’s been badgering me to bring  _ someone _ for months.”

“No boyfriend, then?” Beca asked, aiming for casual and just hitting squeaky.

“Nope,” Chloe confirmed easily, eyes on the road ahead of them.

Beca sent a quick text to Mama Beale, telling her only that Chloe was bringing a friend and nothing more. Then, she switched to Chloe’s music app. Obviously, the redhead had an eclectic music taste, as Beca found a little bit of everything. At the top, however, she found something that made her throat constrict painfully. 

BM Mixes.

Opening the folder revealed a neat list of every mix Beca had made during their time at Barden, most of them specifically for Chloe. The fact that she still had all of these - even Beca didn’t have all of them anymore - and it was even at the top of her list… With a small shake of her head, she backed out of the folder and put on some random pop song.

With the music playing, there wasn’t even a silence. Yet, Beca realized, they somehow managed to make it awkward, neither of them speaking as Chloe drove them to their destination. Deciding to be better than this, Beca took a breath to break through the awkwardness.

“So, are we going to talk about this?”

“This?” Chloe asked with a quick sideway glance.

“This?” Beca repeated, motioning at the two of them. “Us.”

“Us?” Chloe asked now, and Beca realized she was being difficult for the sake of it. 

Taking a deep breath, Beca continued. “Yes, us. Meeting there, you bringing me home for Christmas, after us not having spoken for three years. After… After I broke off contact.”

“I don’t want to talk about that,” Chloe responded firmly. “What is there to talk about, anyway? I’m just bringing a friend over for the holidays. After this, you’re free to go back home and continue ignoring me again, if that makes you feel better. Hell, I can even turn the car around and drop you back off there if you’re having second thoughts.”

“I’m not having second thoughts,” Beca stated. “I just thought… We needed to talk. I dunno, I suck at this.”

“I’d noticed,” Chloe drawled, and that was enough to make them lapse into another silence.

This time, Chloe was the one to break the silence, albeit after half an hour of awkwardly ignoring one another. “Listen, Becs… Let’s just forget about what happened, okay? I don’t want to fight. I’m not sure what happened between us, and I don’t think I ever will be, but let’s just leave it. Let’s just enjoy the holidays, and after that, we’ll just see what happens. If you decide you don’t want to stay in touch, then so be it. If you think we should, all the better, as far as I’m concerned. But there’s nothing to gain by dredging up old hurts, right?”

“Right,” Beca nodded. “That makes sense, I guess.”

“So, what do you do nowadays? Did you ever make it to become a big-shot music producer?”

“Music producer, yes,” Beca nodded slowly. “Big-shot? No, not really.”

“You’ll get there, I’m sure,” Chloe smiled easily, and Beca was hit with the easy confidence she had in her, even after all these years.

“What about you? Became an exotic dancer?”

“Nope. Vet.”

“You’re a vet?”

“Yeah,” Chloe nodded. “Why’s that so surprising?”

“It’s… not, actually,” Beca shrugged. “It’s impressive, though.”

“Thanks,” Chloe chirped happily. Then, her face suddenly shifted into a more serious expression. “Oh, right… I should probably tell you that I never told my parents we weren’t speaking anymore. I’d rather you didn’t bring it up.”

“Okay, sure,” Beca nodded apprehensively. “Can I um… Can I ask why you didn’t tell them?”

Chloe bit her lip, and for a few long moments Beca was certain she wouldn’t be answering the question. “Because I didn’t know what happened, and I didn’t know how to explain it to them. So, it was easier not to tell them at all, I guess.”

“Fair enough,” Beca nodded. “I guess you could’ve told them I was being a massive bitch and ignoring all your texts, but-”

“I didn’t want them to think poorly of you,” Chloe cut in, voice strained. “I figured you… well, you must have had a reason, right?”

“... Right,” Beca sighed, wondering how she was going to explain this. Before she could, her ringtone resounded throughout the car. 

“It’s my dad,” she noted with wry amusement. “Probably a last ditch effort to get me to join him and Sheila in Washington. Do you mind if I take this?”

“Of course not, Becs.”

Accepting the call, Beca brought the phone to her ear. “Hey, dad. Whassup?”

“Nothing much, nothing much,” her father’s voice came from the other end. “I was just checking up on you, see how you were holding up.”

“Oh, well enough,” Beca sighed. 

“Listen, Beca, I know you said you had plans and couldn’t come to Washington with us, but I just wanted to double-check. It’s fine if you’ve changed your mind.”

“I appreciate the offer, dad,” Beca said with a roll of her eyes. “But I um… I’m actually with Chloe right now, off to her family, so…”

“Chloe?” 

“Hey Mr. Mitchell!” Chloe yelled enthusiastically. “How’ve you been?”

Rather than listening to them yell and relaying the messages, Beca put her phone into speaker-mode. 

“I’ve been very well, thank you for asking, Chloe. How about you?”

“Oh, nothing to complain,” Chloe smiled easily. “Don’t worry about your little girl, though. I’ll take good care of her and make sure she won’t get grumpy this Christmas!”

“I’m  _ not _ a child, Chloe,” Beca huffed.

“You also didn’t grow since the last time I saw you, so…” 

“Well, I hear she’s in good hands,” Beca’s father laughed over the phone. “Take care you two! Beca, call me when you get back home, okay?”

“Will do, dad. Thanks for checking in.”

“Have a merry Christmas, sweetheart,” her father ended their call. 

“He doesn’t sound like he’s changed much,” Chloe remarked easily when Beca pocketed her phone again.

“He hasn’t. We’re on much better terms now than back in college, though.”

“That’s good,” Chloe nodded thoughtfully, after which the awkward silence set in again.

Beca stared out of the window, seeing nothing but grey skies and flurries of white as far as the eye could reach. Resting her head against the cold glass, Beca pondered her current situation - how she could even  _ be _ in this situation, and how the hell she was going to get through it.

It wasn’t that spending Christmas with Chloe and her family was torture.

It was, in fact, quite the opposite. Despite only having reconnected an hour or so ago, after not having spoken for three years, and despite all the lingering awkwardness, it was becoming increasingly clear that even now, after all this time, Beca’s feelings for Chloe remained unchanged.

She closed her eyes, letting her mind wander back to memories of Barden… Memories she hadn’t revisited for years.

\--

_ “I can’t believe this is happening,” Chloe sighed, eyes glassy as she sniffled. “I can’t believe we’re all flying out to God knows where.” _

_ “We’ve been over this, Chlo,” Beca told her gently, rubbing her arm up and down, the palm of her hand tingling at the touch. “Times change, and that isn’t always a bad thing.” _

_ “I know, I know,” Chloe nodded, hugging Stacie one last time, and throwing a wave at Ashley and Jessica, who were already getting into their cab. _

_ “I’ll call you as soon as I land in New York,” Stacie promised, punching Beca’s shoulder as she moved out of Chloe’s embrace.  _

_ “You better!” Chloe told her, wiping at her eyes again. It broke Beca’s heart to hear the sniffles as Stacie turned on her heels as well, stalking off towards the waiting cab that just pulled up to the curb.  _

_ “And then it was just us,” Beca sighed, turning around and looking at the house behind them. “It’s going to be so strange, not living here anymore.” _

_ “Yeah,” Chloe sighed, linking their arms as they walked inside again, pointedly ignoring their packed suitcases next to the front door. “Do you have all the keys?” _

_ “All except yours,” Beca nodded.  _

_ Chloe dug into her purse, pulling the key to the house from its clutches. For a moment, Beca thought Chloe wouldn’t hand it over, but then she delicately placed it in her waiting hand. “This isn’t the end, is it?”  _

_ “Of course it isn’t, Chlo,” Beca told her with a strained smile. _

_ “Then why does it feel like the end?” _

_ “It isn’t,” Beca affirmed, solemnly. _

_ “Promise me?” Chloe asked, doe-eyed. “Promise me we will remain friends? Promise me that we won’t fall out of touch?” _

_ Beca bit her lip, her mind frantically looking for a loophole. With these feelings festering inside of her for the past year, there was no way she could continue being this close to Chloe. She needed to move on, and that wasn’t going to happen if she spent every other night on the phone with her best friend. _

_ “I promise, Chlo,” she whispered, heart thumping as Chloe pulled her into a bone-crushing embrace.  _

_ \-- _

When she opened her eyes again, the skies were pitch-black, and the snow seemed to have let up a little. “Well, look who’s awake,” came Chloe’s amused drawl.

“How long was I out for? What time is it?”

“Almost three hours,” Chloe responded dryly. “And it’s almost seven. We’ll be right on time for dinner.”

“I could go for a Mama Beale dinner right about now,” Beca groaned, righting herself up in her seat. With some peering, she could make out the familiar streets around them, telling her they were mere minutes from Chloe’s childhood home.

“Well, you always did eat more than your stature suggested,” Chloe grinned.

“Oh, great, we’re back with the height jokes,” Beca smiled, rolling her eyes fondly.

“I never stopped with the height jokes,” Chloe winked. “You just didn’t hear them, is all.”

“Fair enough,” Beca nodded. “So, any topics I should avoid over dinner?”

“Other than our divorce?” Chloe asked casually. “No, don’t think so.”

“Alright, cool,” Beca nodded, taking a deep breath as Chloe pulled into the driveway. 

Before they even had a chance to open the doors of the car, the front door opened and John and Mary Beale appeared, surrounded by the glow of warm light, wearing tacky Christmas sweaters and the entire scene was so domestic and welcoming, Beca actually felt her heart swelling.

She followed Chloe’s lead, opening her door and stepping out. The moment she did, Mary screeched, much like Chloe was wont to do, and charged at her, enveloping her in a maternal hug. “Beca Mitchell! We haven’t seen you in ages! Oh, it’s so good to have you here again, dear!”

“Thank you, Mrs. Beale,” Beca squeaked.

“Well, it certainly has been too long if you’re being all formal with us again,” John grinned over his wife’s shoulder, pulling Beca into a one-armed hug as soon as Mary let go of her. “Chloe, why didn’t you tell us you were bringing Beca?”

“I didn’t text you, Beca did,” Chloe smiled. “I guess she wanted to surprise you.”

“Well, that she sure did,” John smiled. “Come on then, come on inside! I’m sure Jimmy will be over the moon.”

“Jimmy’s here already?” Chloe squealed. “I thought he wouldn’t be here until tomorrow?”

“Ah, he left Barden one day early,” Mary smiled as she ushered them inside. Beca rounded the corner into the living room, where a cheesy Christmas movie was playing next to the roaring fireplace, a brightly decorated Christmas tree in the other corner. 

Chloe’s younger brother immediately bounced up from the couch. “Chloe!” he roared, tackling his sister in a hug. 

“Hey you!” Chloe laughed. “How’s Barden treating you? Become a Bella yet?”

“Fuck you, Chloe,” Jimmy huffed, eyes growing wide as he noticed Beca behind her. “Wicked, you brought your cooler other half!

“Hey!” Chloe bristled, pretending to be insulted.

“How’s it hanging, Jimmy,” Beca grinned, giving him a box. He had just been a teenager last time she saw him, but he was rapidly growing into a man now, looking as much like his father as Chloe resembled her mother. 

“All cool, all cool,” Jimmy grinned. “Hey, we’re totally going to play videogames later!”

“Tomorrow,” Beca promised. “I’m sure there’ll be time tomorrow.”

“Come on, kids, the table’s all set,” Mary smiled, ushering them all towards the dining room, where indeed, the table was set for five.

As John pushed her into the seat next to Chloe’s, Mary began moving all the food to the table. Beca watched, wide-eyed, as a particularly tasty-looking bird was placed in the center, followed by a roast beef and a hefty piece of ham, various salads, gravy and cranberry sauce. “Now, remember kids, leave some room for dessert!”

“Dude, this is…” Beca muttered, looking at all the food. “I forgot what a Mama Beale dinner looked like.”

“Maybe you wouldn’t have if you’d come over more often,” Chloe smiled sweetly. Beca wanted to bristle at the comment, finding it hard to ignore that sharp sting in her chest Chloe’s words had left. Then again, the jab was well deserved, and they  _ had _ agreed not to bring it up over the holidays, so she decided to let it slide.

“Yes, Beca, you really should come see us more often,” John smiled amicably. “Chloe tells us you’re quite busy nowadays.”

“I am, yeah,” Beca nodded. “Work is… work is a lot, not gonna lie.”

“Well, we’re just happy you’re here,” Mary smiled. “Now, we mustn’t let all this food go to waste!”

As everyone helped themselves to healthy portions of Mary’s home-cooked meal, John went around the table. He placed two bottles of beer on the table, one for himself and one for Jimmy, before filling up three wine glasses, almost to the brim, and handing them to the ladies. 

Chloe launched off in a series of stories about her patients, and Beca found herself swept away by the familiarity of it all. During their time at Barden, she’d visited the Beale household a few times each year, and it always ended up in scenes like this - family dinners, elaborate stories, and-

And snuggling under the blankets with Chloe.

At that last thought, Beca took her wine glass and took a large gulp, immediately followed by another. “That’s the spirit,” John smiled easily, topping her glass off again. “Not to worry, there’s plenty more where that came from.”

\--

“So I was just sitting there, working on this mediocre background track, right?” Beca told them, animatedly waving her hands around. “And I was just going to tell my boss that, whoever it was for, had no taste and no reason to be in the music business. Before I could even open my mouth, the door opens and effin’ Taylor Swift walks into the room like she owns it - owns  _ us _ \- and my boss tells me we’re working on her next album and holy shit I almost trash-talked Taylor Swift?!”

“You worked with Taylor Swift?” Chloe screeched. “How did you not tell me this?!”

“I didn’t work  _ with _ Taylor, Chlo,” Beca smiled affectionately. “I did some work on a few of her background tracks, that’s all.”

“But you met her!”

“Um, yeah. A… few times, actually.”

“Ohmygod, I hate you so much!” Chloe groaned. “And you didn’t even get me a signature!”

“I’ll introduce you,” Beca shrugged casually. 

“Wait, wait, you can do that?”

“Um, well, yeah. I mean, she’s at the studio all the time,” Beca shrugged awkwardly, everyone laughing at Chloe’s enthusiasm. “It’s no big deal.”

“No big deal?!” Chloe roared. 

“Okay, okay, sweetie, take another glass of wine,” Mary smiled, filling their glasses again. Looking at her own glass, Beca realized it was empty again - no idea how that happened - and that her vision was definitely getting more than a little fuzzy at the edges. 

“I um, think I have had enough.”

“Nonsense!” John smiled, taking the empty bottle from his wife and retrieving a new one. “Come on, enjoy it while you still can, Beca. Before you know it, you’re the age where you fall asleep after your third glass.”

“Hey!” Mary chided, slapping his arm. “At least I don’t snore if I’ve so much as looked at a bottle of beer.”

“No, you don’t need the beer to snore, love,” John grinned, earning him another swat.

Before she could say anything more, Beca’s glass was full again, and she politely took a sip, feeling the warmth throughout her entire being. She liked this. She liked being here. She liked being with Chloe’s family. She liked being with Chloe. She  _ liked _ Chloe.

And even though she was definitely aware of the alcohol doing most of the thinking right now, that didn’t make it all any less true. “Thanks for bringing me today,” she told Chloe softly while her parents were still goofing around.

Beca watched a series of emotions flicker over Chloe’s face, and then she suddenly got to her feet, hand gripping the side of the table. “Alcohol’s getting to me,” she smiled apologetically. “I’m going to get some air. Beca, join me?”

Beca was all too aware of it not being an actual question. It was posed as one, but it came in the tone an owner would use on a puppy - not exactly forceful, but leaving little room for interpretation. With a quiet nod, Beca got to her feet as well, wobbling for a moment as she followed Chloe out the backdoor.

The Beale’s backyard was like a fairy-tale place, all snowy with Christmas lights running through the hedges and over the little shed off to the side. Chloe pulled a heavy blanket from a chest, wrapping it around herself as she sat down on the porch bench, holding it open for Beca to join her. “Get over here before you get hypothermia.”

Beca did as she was told - how could she not - huddling under the blanket and revelling at the warmth of Chloe’s body next to her. They watched the garden, and the softly falling snow, in utter silence for a few minutes, after which Chloe sighed forlornly. “What are we doing, Becs?”

Beca echoed Chloe’s sigh. “I really don’t know.”

“I feel like… like we’re putting on a play here,” Chloe continued, voice quiet and strained. “Like we’re pretending life is exactly what I want it to be, only to go our separate ways again after this. And… I can’t help thinking it was a mistake to bring you along.”

“Chlo…”

“No, let me finish,” Chloe continued. “I love having you here, Beca. When you stopped responding to me, it felt like I lost you. I  _ did _ lose you, and it  _ hurt _ , Bec. It hurt so much. And now you’re here, but it’s only make-believe, and after the holidays, you’ll be gone again and… and I’m not sure I can go through that again.”

“I… I don’t know what to say to that,” Beca admitted feebly.

“Neither do I,” Chloe sighed with an air of finality. “I mean, last time I made you promise and…”

“And I didn’t keep it,” Beca finished Chloe’s sentence.

“Did you know?” Chloe asked. “When you promised… did you know you were going to cut me out of your life?”

Beca remained quiet for a long time, contemplating the different answers. With everything they had been through, though, she decided honesty was, probably, the best policy right now. “Yes,” she eventually breathed out, her heart clenching at the pitiful sob Chloe let out.

“But why?” Chloe cried quietly. “Was I that bad of a friend? Was everything at Barden one big lie?”

“No!” Beca told her, turning underneath the blanket to face Chloe and reaching to take her hand into her own. It hurt when Chloe withdrew her hand, but she couldn’t blame her, either. “Chloe, all throughout Barden you were my best friend. Not a single moment of our time together there was fake, nothing was a lie. You  _ need _ to believe that.”

“How can I?”

“Looking back,” Beca told her softly, reaching for Chloe’s hand again and not letting the redhead draw it away this time. “Looking back, you cannot really think it was fake, can you?”

“I… don’t want to,” Chloe admitted quietly. “But the moment we moved, you began pulling away… I just don’t understand what changed.”

Beca closed her eyes, not wanting to see the hurt on Chloe’s face right now, so clearly displayed. When she opened them again, nothing had changed and Chloe still looked frail and fragile and like she was about to break any moment now. “Nothing changed,” Beca told her, not even filtering her words now. “Cutting ties with you was the hardest thing I ever did,” she continued. 

Chloe deserved the truth. Chloe deserved the world, really. And Chloe definitely deserved better than Beca’s sorry ass.

“I fell in love with you,” she blurted, watching Chloe’s sharp intake of breath and the widening of her eyes. “At the start of our senior year, I realized I was totally in love with you, and I was only with Jesse out of… convenience, I guess. I fell in love with you, and it wasn’t mutual, and it  _ hurt _ so much Chloe, I couldn’t… I just couldn’t. And when we left Barden, I knew I had to move on… I knew I had to go on with my life without you, but that would never happen if we were going to be calling each other every day.”

“Becs-”

“And we would have called each other all the time,” Beca continued, on a roll now. “Every time I did something right at work, or had a shitty day, or thought of a funny joke, I wanted to call you and tell you. I couldn’t keep doing that. I had to forget you, and the only way to do so was… well… You know.”

“Did you?” Chloe asked, breath forming a warm puff between their faces. “Forget?”

“For a time,” Beca nodded slowly. “But there was always a shadow of you, cast over everyone I met.”

“Beca Mitchell, you’re a fucking idiot,” Chloe stated, voice gaining strength as she pulled her hand from Beca’s again, poking it against her sternum.

“Ouch, stop that!” Beca yelped.

“No, I will not stop that, you imbecile!” Chloe continued, louder now, poking her again. “You’re the dumbest person I’ve ever met!” she practically yelled, punching Beca’s shoulder.

“Dude, stop it with the abuse!” Beca snapped, rubbing her shoulder. “Keep the insults coming, though, I’m really loving those,” she continued sarcastically.

“You don’t get to be a brat about this,  _ Beca _ ,” Chloe snapped. “You’re the one that ran away from your problems instead of just fucking telling me you were in love with me!”

“Well, yeah, you were hooking up with every random stranger on campus, remember?” Beca snapped in return.

“Only because you had a fucking boyfriend!” Chloe screamed. “I’d have dropped everyone and everything if I even so much as  _ thought _ I’d had a chance with you!”

Beca had a sharp reply at the tip of her tongue, only freezing when the meaning of Chloe’s words registered. “You… would have?”

“Yes,” Chloe huffed harshly. “Watching you with Jesse was heart-wrenching, and I’ve hated him more than I’ve ever hated another person, just for having you in a way that I could not.”

“I… never knew,” Beca muttered, voice quiet again.

“Obviously,” Chloe sighed. “Jesus Christ, what a shitshow.”

“Yeah…” Beca groaned, resting her head in her hands. “Un-fucking-believable. To think if only I had broken up with Jesse sooner-”

“I’d have totally put the moves on you,” Chloe nodded. “But I thought you two were happy, and that was all I wanted for you. To be happy…”

Beca let Chloe’s words fly around her head for a while. How could she have messed everything up so massively? Her cowardice in her college years had screwed her chances with Chloe. They could’ve been fucking married by now if she… If only…

“So now what?” Chloe asked, voice carefully neutral.

“I… honestly don’t know,” Beca sighed. “What a mess.”

Chloe huffed, and for the first time since their conversation started, it sounded amused. “Becs, we were co-captains of the Bellas for years. We handled Fat Amy, Stacie, Lily… We excel at cleaning up messes.”

“Remember that time Fat Amy smuggled a dingo into the States?” Beca reminisced fondly.

“Now that was a mess, alright,” Chloe chuckled. “Becs… I’d still drop everything for you,” she continued suddenly, shy and apprehensive. “If only you asked.”

Beca felt her breath freezing, the implication of Chloe’s words ringing in her ears like a bell. “You would?”

Biting her lip, Chloe nodded, eyes averted.

“I…” Beca started, suddenly unable to find the words she wanted to speak. “It’s been so long, Chlo… But I’m still in love with you,” she continued softly. “I don’t know if we’ll work out, or how we should even go about trying it, and we haven’t seen each other in so long this might be crazy but-”

“Yes.”

“Yes to this being crazy?” Beca asked, taken aback.

“Yes to the date you’re going to ask me on,” Chloe corrected her, giving her hands a squeeze.

“Oh…” Beca murmured dumbly. “That’s cool.”

Chloe chuckled dryly. “After all this time, ‘that’s cool’ is all you have to say?”

“Uh-huh,” Beca nodded, eyes falling to Chloe’s lips. “Can I kiss you?”

“After everything you put me through, I think you’re morally obliged to,” Chloe grinned teasingly, already leaning forward.

Beca was holding her breath, barely able to believe this moment was actually happening. All this time, she had banned images like these from her mind, only to find herself in the Beale’s backyard, kissing Chloe on the porch, in the freaking snow, on Christmas Eve.

Chloe’s lips were cold against her own, but incredibly soft and pliant, and the happy hum Chloe let out as she pressed in a little further warmed Beca from the inside out, more than any amount of alcohol ever could.

“I’ve wanted to do that for so long, Becs,” Chloe whispered as they parted, still close enough for Beca to feel the warmth from her breath against her tingling lips. “Since the first ICCA win.”

“Jesus,” Beca hissed out. “I can’t believe how stupid I’ve been.”

“Well, at least you got a little smarter over time, if not any taller,” Chloe grinned, nudging her playfully.

“I hate you.”

“No you don’t,” Chloe grinned easily. “You love me.”

“Yeah, I think you’re right about that,” Beca smiled, pulling Chloe in for another brief kiss. “You and your fucking Christmas miracles.”

“I’m sorry?” Chloe asked with a confused frown.

“I was literally re-reading your last text earlier today,” Beca admitted sheepishly. “And you chose that moment to walk into my random gas station along the highway halfway down Georgia. I mean, I always thought it cheesy, but the odds are so small, it  _ has _ to be a Christmas miracle, right?”

“Beca Mitchell, certified softie,” Chloe grinned.

“I’ll let you get away with that,” Beca shrugged casually. “But only because I love you.”


End file.
